AlCircle News Edited By "Staff Editor"
Hindalco partners with Metalshub to launch digital alumina spot tenders
Hindalco Industries has partnered with Germany-based digital marketplace Metalshub to introduce a structured online bidding process for spot sales of metallurgical-grade alumina, with the first tender expected between October and December 2026. The initiative aims to bring greater competition and transaction-based price discovery to a segment of the alumina market where most volumes are traditionally traded through long-term contracts. Under the new process, qualified buyers will be able to participate in confidential digital request-for-bid events, allowing multiple bidders to compete for available spot alumina volumes. Metalshub said the approach will generate transaction data from competitive bidding, potentially providing a more transparent reference for spot-market pricing. Digital...
Guinea looks beyond bauxite as Glencore partnership expands into alumina and energy
Guinea is looking to expand its partnership with Glencore beyond bauxite exports, with the two sides discussing potential investments in alumina refining, energy and other strategic projects as Conakry seeks to build more processing capacity at home. The discussions follow a more than USD 300 million bauxite pre-financing and offtake agreement signed last week between state-owned Nimba Mining and Glencore. Under the deal, the Swiss commodities group will market 10–12 million tonnes of bauxite annually for five years, giving it a significant position in one of the world's largest bauxite-producing countries. Guinea's Mines Minister Bouna Sylla said the agreement could provide a foundation for a broader partnership across the country's aluminium value chain. "Glencore has indicated strong...
$58m expansion strengthens Tampa Brass & Aluminum’s defence manufacturing
Tampa Brass & Aluminum is putting USD 58 million into its Hillsborough County facility following a series of new military contracts. The investment in machinery and equipment will also bring 50 new jobs to the area. The company manufactures components for the US Air Force and US Navy, handling production from raw materials through to finished products for missiles, submarines and other military systems. The new positions will offer an average annual salary of USD 83,200. The expansion comes under the company’s new ownership and will add positions including non-destructive testing technicians and supervisors, quality control inspectors, welding inspectors and nuclear engineering technicians. Tampa chosen for manufacturing expansion Company leadership also considered Amarillo, Texas, before...
Inola aluminium smelter timeline stretches to April 2027 after new moratorium, US capacity push continues
The proposed USD 4 billion aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, has entered another review phase as the US continues efforts to strengthen domestic aluminium production. Inola town trustees have unanimously extended the moratorium on the project through April 7, 2027, giving the proposed development a longer pause as local concerns and legal challenges continue to be considered. The latest decision extends the 60-day moratorium approved on June 29, which was originally due to expire on September 28. The town has also voted to put a proposed ordinance banning primary aluminium smelting within Inola city limits before voters on April 7, 2027. Inola project comes after years of efforts to strengthen domestic aluminium manufacturing. Section 232 tariffs, introduced in 2018, aimed to reduce...
$450m in additional annual Capex as Alcoa’s South32 deal expected to improve aluminium cost competitiveness
Alcoa’s proposed acquisition of South32’s assets is expected to improve its position on the aluminium industry cost curve while expanding its operations across bauxite, alumina and aluminium. The transaction includes a bauxite mine and alumina refinery in Western Australia, located next to Alcoa’s existing operations. It also covers South32’s minority interests in the Alumar smelter and refinery in Brazil, along with the Hillside aluminium smelter in South Africa. Alcoa Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Molly Beerman said the assets were a strong strategic fit with the company’s existing portfolio. Hillside uses technology already operating at two Alcoa smelters, allowing the company to apply its existing technical and operational expertise to the acquired assets. Alcoa...
Apex Aluminum Extrusions rejects US relocation as tariffs threaten exports
A Canadian aluminium extruder is refusing to move its production to the US despite facing a sharp increase in tariffs that could effectively shut it out of one of its largest markets. Apex Aluminum Extrusions, based in Langley, British Columbia, says more than 40 per cent of its sales previously went to the US. The company expects those exports to fall to zero as US tariff measures on aluminium extrusions intensify. Darren McQueen, head of Apex, said the combined impact of the latest measures would result in a 100 per cent tariff on the company's selling price from September 15, after Section 338 tariffs are stacked on top of Section 232 duties. "Forty-plus per cent of our sales were into the U.S., and that will drop to zero," McQueen said. The company produces aluminium profiles used...
Alcoa says Canada tariff cut alone won't bring US aluminium premium down
A cut in US tariffs on Canadian aluminium alone is unlikely to bring down the elevated Midwest aluminium premium significantly, according to Alcoa CFO Molly Beerman, as the US still relies on imports from other countries to cover a structural supply gap. Speaking at the Jefferies Global Industrials Conference in New York, Beerman said the US needs to import around 4 million tonnes of aluminium a year, while Canadian suppliers can provide roughly 3 million tonnes. The remaining 1 million tonnes must come from other markets, where tariffs or other trade barriers continue to support higher delivered costs. The Midwest premium, the surcharge US buyers pay above the London Metal Exchange aluminium price for physical metal, currently stands at USD 1.09 per pound (USD 2,403 per tonne). It has...
US-Canada tariff dispute puts North American auto-parts supply chains under pressure
The latest escalation in the US-Canada trade dispute is putting pressure on one of North America's most deeply integrated manufacturing networks, with auto-parts makers facing higher costs and growing uncertainty over where and how components should be produced. The two countries have spent decades building an automotive supply chain in which parts and materials routinely cross the border multiple times before reaching a finished vehicle. The latest tariff measures, including duties on aluminium and steel, threaten to disrupt that model and could force suppliers to reconsider long-established production routes. The immediate challenge for automakers and their suppliers is deciding whether to absorb higher costs in the short term or make expensive changes to their supply chains. For...
Alba Voronezh launches 4k cans-per-minute plant, targets 25% of Russia’s aluminium can demand
Alba Voronezh has launched a new aluminium beverage can manufacturing plant in the Voronezh region of Russia, with a production capacity of up to 4,000 cans per minute. The facility, located at the “Center” Special Economic Zone (SEZ), represents an investment of RUB 12 billion (USD 143 million). Construction was completed in 11 months, according to Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev. The plant has created more than 200 jobs and is expected to produce around 1 billion aluminium cans a year. Its warehouses can hold up to 150 million cans. The facility is expected to meet at least 25 per cent of Russia’s demand for aluminium beverage packaging. Over the next 10 years, the plant is projected to contribute around RUB 3 billion (USD 36 million) in taxes to the regional budget, along with more...
RUSAL nears final approval for new bauxite-to-alumina project in Kalimantan, Indonesia
Russian aluminium producer RUSAL is nearing the final stage of the permitting process for a planned bauxite-to-alumina processing project in Kalimantan, Indonesia, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia. The project will process bauxite into alumina as part of Indonesia’s push to expand domestic mineral processing. Lahadalia said the Indonesian government is involved in the overall development, while RUSAL will work directly with Indonesian private companies on the project. Lahadalia said, “They are going to build a downstreaming facility to process bauxite into alumina. It will be located in Kalimantan. The permitting process is already in the near-final stage.” The minister has not yet disclosed the names of RUSAL’s local partners or the expected investment...
$11.5b Adani-IRH aluminium project set to strengthen Odisha’s aluminium value chain
Odisha has handed over more than 7,000 acres of land for the Adani Group-International Resources Holding (IRH) joint venture’s proposed USD 11.5 billion integrated aluminium complex. This covers planned alumina refining, aluminium smelting and downstream manufacturing facilities across Sundargarh and Rayagada districts. The land includes around 4,000 acres in Sundargarh district and 3,000 acres in Rayagada district. In the presence of India’s Ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, the documents were handed over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The project is being developed as a 50:50 joint venture between the Adani Group and IRH, a unit of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company. It will cover several stages of the aluminium value chain, from alumina refining and aluminium...
Adani-IHC expand Odisha investment plans to $25bn across 14 projects
Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) and India’s Adani Group have expanded their investment plans in Odisha, outlining INR 2.105 trillion (USD 25 billion) of potential investment across 14 projects spanning metals, critical minerals, energy, chemicals and infrastructure. The agreement, signed during Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s visit to the UAE, builds on the companies’ earlier USD 11.5 billion aluminium project announced in July. The broader portfolio includes metal downstream industries, slurry pipelines, critical minerals and rare earths, chemicals and petrochemical derivatives, renewable energy equipment, healthcare, tourism, skills development and industrial and sports infrastructure. The Odisha government estimates the 14 projects could create about...
Dr Sanja Miskovic joins American Rare Earths to advance Halleck Creek processing
American Rare Earths has appointed Dr Sanja Miskovic as Chief Technical Advisor, with her work focused on process optimisation and recovery as the company advances the feasibility study for its Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project in Wyoming, USA. Miskovic will work on flowsheet development, mineral beneficiation and hydrometallurgical recovery, as well as decisions around scaling up the processing technology. The work is aimed at supporting the planned production of separated rare earth oxides at the proposed Wyoming processing site. American Rare Earths CEO Mark Wall said, "Sanja brings the technical depth and operating instinct we need as we move Halleck Creek through feasibility and toward construction. ” With more than 20 years of experience in minerals and process engineering, Miskovic...
Odisha CM visits EGA Jebel Ali, highlights NALCO–EGA aluminium partnership
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) Jebel Ali site in Dubai, highlighting the strategic importance of the NALCO–EGA technology licensing partnership in strengthening Odisha’s aluminium industry. During the visit, Majhi emphasised how the collaboration brings together EGA’s aluminium technology expertise and NALCO’s established manufacturing base in Odisha. The partnership is expected to support modernisation, capacity expansion, lower-carbon aluminium production and the development of higher-value aluminium products. The discussions also explored opportunities for EGA to participate in Odisha’s expanding downstream aluminium ecosystem, particularly the Angul Aluminium Park, which is being developed as a hub for value-added aluminium products...
Aluminium unibody marks a major design upgrade in iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max has moved from a titanium frame to an aluminium unibody, marking one of the biggest material changes. The new phone uses an aluminium unibody alongside 40 per cent recycled content, while adding a larger display, upgraded cameras and longer battery life. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, launched in 2023, featured a titanium frame with a textured matte glass back. Now the iPhone 18 Pro Max has an aluminium unibody, Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. It is also larger and heavier, measuring 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm and weighing 249 grams. In terms of the camera setup, the 18 Pro Max uses a 48MP tetraprism telephoto at 100 mm with 4x optical zoom and a 12MP 8x crop at 200 mm. Battery life has increased to 45 hours. The newer model also supports faster...
EU aluminium scrap export measure delayed as Commission shifts from duty to non-OECD restrictions
The European Commission has delayed its planned measures on aluminium scrap exports, replacing the earlier proposal for export duties with restrictions on waste shipments to non-OECD countries. European Aluminium said the change has added to discomfort across the aluminium industry, which has been waiting for measures to address the rising flow of scrap out of Europe. The association is now calling for a trade measure with wider territorial coverage and product scope. The Commission had initially planned to introduce restrictions in the second quarter of 2026, later moving the timeline to September. The proposed export duty has now been withdrawn, with the Commission instead preparing a delegated act under the Waste Shipment Regulation. Under the new approach, exports of waste, including...
₹50b investment drives Ball and Crown’s aluminium can expansion in India
Ball Corporation and Crown Holdings are investing a combined INR 50 billion (USD 523 million) in two separate aluminium beverage can manufacturing projects in Uttar Pradesh. Ball Beverage Packaging India, Ball Corporation's Indian subsidiary, has selected a site at the Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster (IMLC) in Meerut for a new aluminium beverage can plant. The proposed investment is INR 29 billion (USD 303 million). The project has also been granted incentives under Uttar Pradesh’s 2023 policy for investments by FDI/FCI, Fortune Global 500 and Fortune India 500 companies. Meanwhile, Crown Holdings has started construction of its first greenfield aluminium beverage can factory at the IMLC in Unnao. The company is investing INR 21 billion (USD 220 million) in the project,...
GM invests $40m in US aluminium casting operations for truck, SUV transmissions
Explore how GM is expanding aluminium casting capacity in Indiana to support 10-speed transmissions and strengthen its US manufacturing footprint. General Motors is investing more than USD 40 million in its Bedford Casting Operations in Indiana, expanding aluminium casting capacity to support production of 10-speed transmissions for full-size trucks and SUVs. The investment will also increase capacity for existing 8-speed transmissions and support engine block production, with work beginning immediately and regular production expected to start in 2027. The project adds to GM's broader investment in US manufacturing and reinforces the role of Bedford's aluminium casting operations in the company's propulsion supply chain. Aluminium casting capacity expands Bedford Casting Operations...
